A radical professor is teaching a new seminar at Harvard University in which she touts two-time failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams as a “political mastermind.”
The class, titled “Race, Gender, and the Law Through the Archive,” and taught by assistant history professor Myisha Eatmon, investigates “the role that Black women and non-binary people have played in shaping politics, grassroots organizing, the legal bar, and higher education during Jim (Jane) Crow and beyond.”
Abrams served for 11 years as a Georgia state representative before losing to Republican Brian Kemp in 2018 and 2022. Though she has never held federal office, the Ivy League course places her alongside leading black female figures of 21st century politics.
“From First Lady Michelle Obama to political mastermind Stacy Abrams to Vice President Kamala Harris, Black women have left their stamp on 21st-century politics and grassroots organizing,” the seminar description reads, misspelling Abram’s first name.
The class is taught by Harvard assistant history professor Dr. Myisha Eatmon. Eatmon’s work focuses on “the intersection of race, power, and law, with expertise in how African Americans have employed their &#8220;legal imaginations&#8221; to challenge &#8220;systemic oppression.”
“How did these people navigate gender and sexuality while pushing for civil rights? How did gender, sexuality, and intersectionality impact their political ideologies?” The course asks students.
It promotes a subjective understanding of the law in line with Critical Race Theory, and claims that “students will see the subjectivity of the Black women and non-binary people who helped push for social and legal reform.”
Eatmon’s narrative of systemic oppression and intersectionality mirrors some of Abrams’s own statements.
After losing her first gubernatorial election by a narrow margin, Abrams claimed the election was stolen from her. She <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/29/stacey-abramss-rhetorical-twist-being-an-election-denier/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">walked back</a> on her statements when she ran again in 2022, saying that unlike Trump, she “never denied the election” and “never denied that I lost.”
She did say, however, that the election was “flawed.”
“I refuse to concede a system that permits citizens to be denied access,” she said. “That is very different than someone claiming fraudulent outcome.”
Adams filed and ultimately lost a lawsuit challenging Georgia’s election laws, funding the multimillion dollar legal battle through one of her voting rights nonprofits, as The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-stacy-abrams-nonprofit-could-be-in-trouble?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Another+Stacy+Abrams+Nonprofit+Could+Be+In+Trouble" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously reported</a>. In a separate lawsuit, another one of Adams’ nonprofits was penalized for providing millions of dollars to her campaign.
Abrams <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/31/stacey-abrams-president-2040-109869" target="_blank" rel="noopener">predicted</a> in 2020 that the United States would elect a black female president in the next 20 years, and suggested that it might be herself. She later tweeted that 2028 “would be the earliest I would be ready to stand for president.”
However, Democrats themselves don’t appear to view Abrams as a “mastermind,” with many <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5297972-democrats-stacey-abrams-2026-midterms-georgia-governor-race/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissing</a> the idea of an attempted third run for governor in 2026.
“There’s not a lot of energy…or a large appetite within the state of Georgia amongst Democrats for a third Abrams run,” said Georgia Democratic strategist Fred Hicks.

Stacey Abrams Campaigns Across Southeastern Georgia Ahead Of Election Day

Radical Harvard Professor Touts Stacey Abrams as ‘Political Mastermind’

Critical Race Theory

Georgia

Harvard

Stacey Abrams

A voting rights group started by twice-failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams should be stripped of its tax-exempt status for “blatant disregard” of non-profit rules, a watchdog organization argued Tuesday. 
The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) filed a <a href="https://65db7681-e755-4cff-abe7-1d9e373df4db.usrfiles.com/ugd/65db76_5ed5e2641c3e44a5b6d9fb9eac79d12b.pdf">complaint</a> with the IRS, saying that Fair Fight Action should be investigated for bankrolling an expensive election lawsuit it argues was only for Abrams’s personal benefit. The complaint comes just months after another one of Abrams’s election non-profit organizations was penalized for illegally spending millions to back her campaign. 
The lawsuit in question, Fair Fight Action v. Raffensperger, challenged Georgia officials over various election integrity measures in place during Abrams’ 2018 race against Republican Brian Kemp. After several years of litigation, Fair Fight Action lost its case when an Obama-appointed judge <a href="https://cases.justia.com/federal/district-courts/georgia/gandce/1:2018cv05391/257857/916/0.pdf?ts=1664630826">ruled</a> that Georgia’s election laws were constitutional and did not violate the Voting Rights Act. 
During the suit, Fair Fight Action was represented by a law firm operated by Allegra Lawrence-Hardy, one of Abrams’s <a href="https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2025/06/05/friends_with_benefits_stacey_abrams_funneled_millions_to_her_lawyer_1114621.html">close friends</a>.
“The law is clear that organizations with tax-exempt status must operate for the public good, not for the personal benefit of one individual,” FACT Executive Director Kendra Arnold told The Daily Wire. “Fair Fight Action’s activities, including funding what appears to be a failed politically motivated lawsuit that paid millions to a close personal friend, demonstrate a blatant disregard for these rules.”
Over the course of five years, Fair Fight Action paid the firm of Lawrence-Hardy over $20 million, according to <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/471427359">tax filings</a>. Fair Fight Action paid the firm $3,062,292 in 2019, $6,363,615 in 2020, $4,441,206 in 2021, $5,034,464 in 2022, and $1,300,280 in 2023.
Arnold argues that Fair Fight Action launched its lawsuit solely for Abrams’s benefit. 
“After she lost her first election for governor of Georgia in 2018, Fair Fight Action engaged in what appeared to be political activity and brought a lawsuit challenging Abrams’ election loss,” Arnold wrote in a letter to the IRS obtained by The Daily Wire. “The organization has served as an arm of Abrams’ political campaigns, notably funding a lawsuit directly challenging her first campaign loss and serving as a bridge between her two runs for governor.”
Once described by the New York Times as a “fundraising powerhouse for Democrats,” Fair Fight Action has struggled in recent years. In January 2024, it was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/30/us/politics/fair-fight-layoffs-stacey-abrams.html">reported</a> that the group was cutting 75% of its staff and was millions of dollars in debt. 
“In essence, an organization interested in providing a ‘common good’ for the citizenry would not put its existence or efficacy at risk to benefit a single individual,” Arnold told The Daily Wire. 
In her letter, Arnold pointed to the New Georgia Project, another one of Abram’s linked voting organizations that has faced scrutiny. The organization, which Abrams founded in 2013, agreed to pay $300,000 after the State Ethics Commission <a href="https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000194-6ae1-d7e4-af9d-eaf5fa010000">found</a> that the organization likely violated state campaign finance laws by failing to report over $7 million spent in support of Abrams. 
Arnold wants the IRS to impose a financial penalty and revoke Fair Fight Action’s tax-exempt status if merited by an investigation. 
“The facts above certainly indicate that the sole motivation of Fair Fight Action and its conduct has been to benefit a few individuals — not the community as a whole,” she wrote.

Stacey Abrams In Conversation With Dr. Carla Hayden

Another Stacy Abrams Nonprofit Could Be In Trouble

Brian Kemp

Elections

Ethics

The U.S. Army awarded medals to six soldiers who subdued an active shooter and quickly aided their wounded colleagues after a sergeant opened fire at Fort Stewart in Georgia on Wednesday.
At a <a href="https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1YqKDZNmgaoJV">press conference</a> on Thursday morning, the Army honored First Sgt. Joshua Arnold, Master Sgt. Justin Thomas, Staff Sgt. Melissa Taylor, Staff Sgt. Robert Pacheco, Staff Sergeant Aaron Turner, and Sergeant Eve Rodarte for their heroism. The suspect is accused of using his personal handgun in the shooting. Fort Stewart prohibits personnel from carrying their own firearms at the base.
&#8220;One of the things I can say unequivocally is that the fast action of these soldiers under stress and under trauma and under fire absolutely saved lives from being lost,&#8221; said U.S. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll.
&#8220;One of the soldiers tackled the person, so just think about this, they were unarmed and ran at and tackled an armed person who they knew was actively shooting their buddies, their colleagues, their fellow soldiers,&#8221; Driscoll added. &#8220;Another soldier jumped on top of the person to subdue them until federal law enforcement arrived. The other soldiers, using their training that they developed over years and years, started to take care of mass casualties.&#8221;
The Army <a href="https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/fort-stewart-shooting-georgia-08-07-25#cme1grzoq000h356nvib6ue5s">said</a> that Staff Sgt. Turner was the first person to subdue the shooter before Master Sgt. Thomas jumped in to help pin him down. Turner is an automated logistical specialist from Farmington, New Mexico, who has been at Fort Stewart for less than a year.
The five victims are all expected to survive, and three of them have already been released from the hospital. One of the victims who remains in the hospital is expected to recover quickly, while the other victim has a longer recovery ahead, Savannah, Georgia, CBS affiliate WTOC <a href="https://www.wtoc.com/2025/08/07/soldiers-who-subdued-fort-stewart-shooter-awarded-medals-3-injured-soldiers-released-hospital/">reported</a>.
The Daily Wire is not publishing the gunman’s name due to a company policy against contributing to the unintentional glorification of mass shooters.
The suspect was identified as a 28-year-old active-duty sergeant who enlisted in 2018. He had not seen combat and had no behavioral incidents that were known to the Army before the shooting. Brig. Gen. John Lubas said on Wednesday that the suspect was arrested for driving under the influence in May, an arrest that the Army&#8217;s top brass did not know about until after the shooting, when they entered the suspect&#8217;s name into a crime database. He was scheduled to be arraigned in the DUI case on August 20, <a href="https://www.ksbw.com/article/fort-stewart-army-sergeant-shooting-coworkers/65624655">according</a> to KSBW Action News 8.
An investigation into the shooting remains ongoing, and the Army said it does not want to speculate about the shooter&#8217;s motives.

Army honors soldiers who stopped gunman

Army Honors Unarmed Soldiers Who Took Down Fort Stewart Shooter

Heroism

Military

Shooting

U.S. Army

A gunman opened fire at Fort Stewart in eastern Georgia on Wednesday, shooting five U.S. Army soldiers, before the shooter was apprehended.
All five of the victims were treated at the base before they were transported to Winn Army Community Hospital, the Army base <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FortStewartHunterArmyAirfield/">said</a> in a post on social media. The victims, who have not been identified, are all in stable condition and expected to recover, Brig. Gen. John Lubas said at a press conference later on Wednesday. The suspected gunman was identified as a 28-year-old automated logistics sergeant assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team who has &#8220;not previously deployed to combat.&#8221; The Army believes the shooter used &#8220;a personal handgun.&#8221;
&#8220;Soldiers in the area that witnessed the shooting immediately and without hesitation tackled the soldier and subdued him,&#8221; Lubas said. &#8220;That allowed law enforcement to then take him into custody.&#8221;
Lubas added that it remains unclear what the gunman&#8217;s motivations were, saying that the shooting took place &#8220;at the soldier&#8217;s place of work&#8221; and involved his co-workers.
&#8220;Law enforcement was dispatched for a possible shooting in the 2nd ABCT complex at 10:56 a.m. The shooter was apprehended at 11:35 a.m.,&#8221; Fort Stewart said.
Fort Stewart is the largest U.S. Army installation east of the Mississippi River and is home to the Army&#8217;s 3rd Infantry Division.
Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp <a href="https://x.com/GovKemp/status/1953124468479377428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1953124468479377428%7Ctwgr%5E7732c4e57e15bb37b72cf843cfe1fb9dd95aa25f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fox5atlanta.com%2Fnews%2Flockdown-fort-stewart-army-post-georgia">posted</a> on X, &#8220;As we remain in close contact with law enforcement on the ground, Marty, the girls, and I are saddened by today’s tragedy at Ft. Stewart. We are keeping the victims, their families, and all those who answer the call to serve in our hearts and prayers, and we ask that Georgians everywhere do the same.&#8221;
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://x.com/PressSec/status/1953135134665802048">said</a> that President Donald Trump was briefed on the shooting and is &#8220;monitoring the situation.&#8221;
This is a developing story; refresh the page for updates.

Police

Army Sergeant Opens Fire At Georgia Military Base, Five Victims Expected To Survive

Crime

U.S.

Former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley <a href="https://apnews.com/article/derek-dooley-reepublican-senate-georgia-tennessee-ossoff-a1b7705b3b8d585ba3e5fd683f59f81c">threw his hat in the ring</a> as a Georgia GOP senatorial candidate for 2026 on Monday.
Dooley, 57, the son of famed University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, obtained his law degree from the University of Georgia and briefly practiced law before turning to football, where he became head coach at Louisiana Tech, then Tennessee before serving as an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys, the University of Missouri, the New York Giants and the University of Alabama.
Dooley is backed by Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who declined to run for the Senate seat to replace Democrat Jon Ossoff, who won his seat in 2020.
“The only thing that matters to me is that people of Georgia are proud of who’s representing them in Washington, D.C.,” Dooley said in his campaign launch video. “President Trump campaigned on things and he’s turned them into results; I haven’t known a president in my lifetime who’s been able to achieve these kind of results. That’s what the people want; they want somebody who means what they say, say what they mean, and then go deliver results.”
Turning to Ossoff, he declared, “Professional politicians like Jon Ossoff are the problem. Lawlessness, open season on the border, inflation everywhere, woke stuff, that’s what they represent. We need new leadership in Georgia. That’s why I’m running for Senate.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0HX7YVxZyiI?si=KhANqp7VVZdu5kbq" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Dooley’s chief rival for the GOP senatorial nod is Congressman Mike Collins, who has gained endorsements from various Republicans, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
At the end of March, a non-partisan ethics watchdog, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), filed a complaint against Ossoff, accusing him of violating Senate ethics rules by directly linking official action to a request for campaign contributions.
FACT sent a<a href="https://65db7681-e755-4cff-abe7-1d9e373df4db.usrfiles.com/ugd/65db76_c14ec0e53bc2448e9a98a4a0e4c00122.pdf"> letter</a> to Ethics Committee Chairman Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) and Vice-Chairman Chris Coons (D-DE) in which they stated:
<blockquote>
On March 14th, 2025, Senator Ossoff sent out an email that contained only two subjects: (1) that he planned to vote against a specific bill; and (2) a request for a campaign contribution. The email began with the statement, “I will vote ‘NO’ on the Trump/Musk/Johnson ‘CR.’” Following several statements about the bill, he then makes a direct request for a campaign contribution: “If you can afford it, please rush $5 to Jon Ossoff’s re-election campaign today. If you’ve stored your info with ActBlue, we’ll process your contribution instantly.” 
</blockquote>
“Senate Ethics Rules specifically prohibit Senators from soliciting campaign contributions based upon any action taken in their official capacity,” the letter continued. “By linking a promise of official action with campaign contributions, a Senator violates a ‘basic principle’ of Senate Ethics that guards against conflicts of interest.”
Additionally, Ossoff, who is Jewish, voted in favor of a resolution to block the sale of some weapons to Israel in November 2024, and last week voted against selling U.S. automatic assault rifles to Israel, and <a href="https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/press-releases/sen-ossoff-statement-on-jrd-votes/">joined other anti-Israel Democrats</a> in blaming the Israeli government &#8211; and not the terrorist group Hamas &#8211; for starving the people of Gaza. He said, “I do not believe the United States Senate should acquiesce without objection to the extreme mass deprivation of civilians in Gaza, including the intolerable starvation of children, that have resulted from the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.”

Tennessee Volunteers v Arkansas Razorbacks

Former Tennessee Football Coach Enters Georgia Senate Race As Republican

Jon Ossoff

Politics

Senate GOP

U.S. Senate

Georgia Republican Rep. Mike Collins announced Monday his entrance into the Georgia Senate race, vowing to &#8220;steamroll the radical Left&#8221; and deliver on President Trump&#8217;s America First agenda.
The second-term congressman is challenging Senator Jon Ossoff, who narrowly won his first term in 2020 shortly after the January 6 riots, edging out GOP incumbent Sen. David Perdue in a runoff election. Ossoff is <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-ally-mike-collins-launch-key-battleground-state-bid-flip-democrat-held-senate-seat">seen</a> by many in the GOP as the most vulnerable Senate Democrat incumbent in 2026, as Trump carried the state in 2024, according to Fox News.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know who Jon Ossoff really works for, but it sure as heck isn&#8217;t Georgia,&#8221; Collins says in his campaign launch video posted on X. &#8220;Jon Ossoff does not represent Georgia&#8217;s values and has attacked our state&#8217;s best interests at every opportunity. He&#8217;s voted to raise taxes on Georgia families, supercharge inflation, open our Southern Border, and allow men to play women&#8217;s sports.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I&#8217;m in. <a href="https://t.co/Bxhm4e8jp2">pic.twitter.com/Bxhm4e8jp2</a>
— Mike Collins (@MikeCollinsGA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeCollinsGA/status/1949786569759482010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Collins, a prominent Georgia businessman elected to the House in 2022, is a close ally of President Trump and features audio of the president praising him in his launch video.
&#8220;Mike Collins. Mike, you were fantastic. He loves this state, and he took this very personally,&#8221; Trump says in the clip.
Collins highlights his work on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-signs-laken-riley-act-into-law">Laken Riley Act</a>, legislation that strengthens detention capabilities for federal officials dealing with undocumented immigrants charged with crimes like theft and burglary. The legislation was named after a 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by an illegal immigrant while jogging on the University of Georgia campus in February 2024.
The bill, which Collins sponsored, was the first piece of legislation Trump signed into law during his second term.
Collins, whose family owns a trucking company, promises to &#8220;send a trucker to the U.S. Senate to steamroll the radical left, deliver on President Trump&#8217;s America First agenda, and put the people of Georgia back in the driver&#8217;s seat.&#8221;
Collins enters an increasingly competitive Republican primary. Rep. Buddy Carter has already announced his candidacy, with both candidates <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5423594-gop-primary-georgia-senate/">courting</a> Trump&#8217;s endorsement, according to The Hill. Other candidates, such as former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, are also rumored to be considering a run.
Ossoff has been building a substantial war chest, reporting double-digit fundraising hauls over recent quarters, as he prepares for what will likely be one of the most closely watched Senate contests in 2026, alongside North Carolina, after former Governor Roy Cooper <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftist-former-gov-roy-cooper-runs-for-senate-turning-north-carolina-into-2026s-key-battleground?author=Nathan+Gay&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Leftist+Former+Gov+Roy+Cooper+Runs+For+Senate%2C+Turning+North+Carolina+Into+2026%E2%80%99s+Key+Battleground">announced</a> his run on Monday.

WASHINGTON, DC – JAN 09: Representative Mike Collins speaks at

Pro-Trump Rep. Mike Collins Jumps Into Georgia Senate Race To Unseat Leftist Jon Ossoff

2026 Midterms

Laken Riley

Mike Collins

Senate

Someone reportedly stole a thumb drive containing unreleased Beyoncé songs from a rental car during the singer’s recent tour stop in Atlanta.
The incident occurred on July 8 when a choreographer and dancer on the tour left their rental car in a parking garage while they were at dinner. They returned to the vehicle, a Jeep Wagoneer, to discover that the windows were broken and multiple items had been taken from it.
Missing items included two suitcases, a pair of sunglasses, Apple headphones, two Apple laptops, and five thumb drives. A thumb drive containing some of Beyoncé&#8217;s unreleased music was among the missing items, per the <a href="https://cityofatlanta.sharepoint.com/sites/APDPublicAffairs/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2FAPDPublicAffairs%2FShared%20Documents%2F2025%2FPredmore%2FReports%2FZ6%20%2D%2099%20Krog%20St%2E%20NE%20%2D%20Theft%20from%20Motor%20Vehicle%20%2D%20251892044%20%2D%2008JUL2025%2Epdf&amp;parent=%2Fsites%2FAPDPublicAffairs%2FShared%20Documents%2F2025%2FPredmore%2FReports&amp;p=true&amp;ga=1">police report</a>. 
“They have my computers and it’s really, really important information in there,” one of the two men told a 911 operator, as the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/beyonce-unreleased-music-stolen-atlanta-2cb8e2f3b349c6708134c17bc5e10d1f">reported</a>. “I work with, um, someone who’s, like, of a high status, and I really need my computer and everything.”
The choreographer, Christopher Grant, told law enforcement that he had been “carrying some personal sensitive information for the musician.”
The police report stated that the missing thumb drives included “watermarked music, unreleased music, footage plans for the show, and past and future set list(s).”
The report also stated that surveillance footage of the area was available and that an arrest warrant had been issued for an unnamed suspect.
Atlanta police have warned the public that car thefts are a common occurrence in the area. 
Beyoncé has not released a statement on the thefts. The singer has been performing shows as part of her Cowboy Carter Tour since April and is scheduled to conclude the tour later this month. She made <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/beyonces-flying-car-malfunctions-during-concert?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Beyonc%C3%A9%E2%80%99s+Flying+Car+Malfunctions+During+Concert">headlines</a> last month when a flying car she used as a prop tipped dramatically to the side while she was in it. 
“If ever I fall, I know y’all would catch me,” Beyoncé told the crowd once she made it safely back on the stage.

Beyonce

Unreleased Beyoncé Tracks Stolen From Rental Car In Democrat-Led City

Unreleased Beyoncé Music Stolen From Rental Car In Atlanta

Atlanta

Car Theft

Entertainment

Failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams <a href="https://x.com/alexchristy17/status/1942601270579109948">claimed</a> President Donald Trump is one step away from turning the U.S. into an autocracy.
Abrams appeared on &#8220;Jimmy Kimmel Live,&#8221; where guest host Anthony Anderson asked her to explain the &#8220;10 steps to autocracy.&#8221;
Abrams said her 10 steps apply to &#8220;every nation that has become an autocracy having been a democracy,&#8221; specifically referencing Brazil India, Russia, and the Philippines.
&#8220;Start with winning an election,&#8221; Abrams said. &#8220;Usually the last one you&#8217;ll get to have for real.&#8221;
Abrams&#8217; next steps included expanding executive power and weakening Congress and the judiciary.
&#8220;Like, I don&#8217;t know, the Supreme Court is giving you unfettered power and saying we don&#8217;t have the ability to stop things,&#8221; Abrams said, presumably referencing the recent Supreme Court ruling <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-sides-with-trump-limits-nationwide-injunctions-in-birthright-citizenship-fight">limiting</a> nationwide injunctions.
Abrams skipped right over former President Joe Biden, who notably <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-ignores-supreme-court-cancels-another-74000-student-loans">ignored</a> the Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling striking down his student loan forgiveness plan.
Abrams said autocracies then &#8220;gut the civil service&#8221; to &#8220;break democracy&#8221; and put loyalists in the FBI &#8220;so they go after your enemies.&#8221;
She failed to mention that under former President Joe Biden — who shares her political affiliation — Trump was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/us/trump-investigations-charges-indictments.html">charged</a> in four criminal cases that were widely viewed as political prosecutions..
Abrams said that Trump &#8220;[going] after DEI&#8221; was evidence that he was looking for someone to blame, which she said was another hallmark of autocracies.
She then suggested Trump&#8217;s mobilization of the National Guard and the U.S. Marines in Los Angeles was one step away from a full autocracy.
&#8220;You send the U.S. Marines into spaces where they should not be, you send the National Guard in, you kidnap people off of the streets and pretend that&#8217;s normal,&#8221; Abrams said.
Trump sent the Marines and the National Guard into Los Angeles to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-vows-to-liberate-los-angeles-shut-down-migrant-riots-and-insurrectionist-mobs">protect</a> federal agents and buildings from anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement rioters. Monday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/los-angeles-mayor-protestors-swarm-ice-officers-raiding-ms-13-controlled-park">joined</a> protestors attempting to disrupt the ICE raid of a park controlled by MS-13.
&#8220;Once you&#8217;ve done those nine steps, step 10 is easy,&#8221; Abrams said. &#8220;That&#8217;s when you decide there won&#8217;t be new elections because everyone&#8217;s either afraid, poor, broken, or complicit.&#8221;
Abrams has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stacey-abrams-claims-cnn-spread-disinformation-for-highlighting-her-false-stolen-election-claims?author=Daily+Wire+News&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Stacey+Abrams+Claims+CNN+Spread+%E2%80%98Disinformation%E2%80%99+For+Highlighting+Her+False+Stolen+Election+Claims">claimed</a> dozens times that the 2018 gubernatorial election was stolen from her. In 2019, she said, &#8220;I didn’t lose. I got the votes. But we won’t know exactly how many because of how they cheated.”
Recently, nonprofits affiliated with Abrams have come under scrutiny, with IRS complaints alleging the organizations campaigned on behalf of Abrams and other candidates in violation of federal law, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-ethics-watchdog-files-irs-complaint-against-stacey-abrams-nonprofits">reported</a>.

Bill Clinton Campaigns For Kamala Harris In Georgia

Stacey Abrams Says Trump Will Turn United States Into An Autocracy

Donald Trump

Jose Ibarra, the illegal immigrant convicted of murdering 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, secured a major court victory last Thursday when a judge ordered a mental evaluation that could lead to a new trial.
Ibarra, 27, was found <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jose-ibarra-found-guilty-of-killing-georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley">guilty</a> in November on 10 charges, including murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault with intent to rape Riley, who he murdered after she went jogging at the University of Georgia in Athens.
According to court documents, Ibarra&#8217;s defense attorneys <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/07/us-news/laken-rileys-killer-jose-ibarra-gets-major-win-for-possible-trial-redo/">claimed</a> he &#8220;lacks the mental capacity to understand the nature and object and proceedings&#8221; and is &#8220;suffering from congenital deficiency which could render the client incapable of preparing a defense and standing trial,&#8221; per the New York Post.
Judge Patrick Haggard ordered a &#8220;prompt evaluation&#8221; to determine if Ibarra was fit to stand trial last year and whether he can assist with his current appeal.
“The mental competence of [Ibarra] has been called into question, and this court has found it appropriate for an evaluation to be conducted at the public expense,” the order reads.
Prosecutor Sheila Ross noted in court filings that there was no evidence during the trial suggesting Ibarra wasn&#8217;t mentally competent, though she didn&#8217;t oppose the evaluation and instead left the decision up to the Judge.
Ibarra, a member of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, waived his right to a jury trial, and Judge Haggard sentenced the illegal immigrant to life in prison without parole.
Ibarra had illegally entered the United States during the Biden administration&#8217;s border crisis, having been detained in El Paso, Texas, in September 2022, but was released after approximately one day.
Riley&#8217;s brutal murder shocked the University of Georgia campus and garnered national attention amid heated debates about immigration enforcement.
In January, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-signs-laken-riley-act-into-law?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Signs+Laken+Riley+Act+Into+Law">signed</a> into law the “Laken Riley Act,” which requires federal officials to arrest non-U.S. nationals accused of violent and theft-related crimes in the United States.
Ibarra had been previously arrested for other offenses, but he was released in New York before federal authorities could issue a detainer.
The mental evaluation is set to take place either at the Georgia Department of Corrections or at a designated hospital facility. No timeline has been established for when the evaluation results might be available or how quickly the court will rule on potential next steps.
If the mental evaluation finds Ibarra was not competent during his original trial, his defense team could petition for a retrial, potentially setting aside his life sentence and reopening wounds for Riley&#8217;s family and community.

US-VOTE-POLITICS-TRUMP

Judge Grants Laken Riley’s Killer A Path To Possible Retrial

Illegal Immigation

Murder

News

Tren De Aragua

In 2016, then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said during an MSNBC town hall that there should be “some form of punishment” for women who chose to abort their unborn children.
His comments erupted a firestorm of controversy among both pro-abortion and pro-life advocates, prompting a rapid backtrack. March For Life President Jeanne Mancini said Trump’s comments were “out of touch” and that “no pro-lifer would ever want to punish a woman who has chosen abortion,” while National Right to Life released an equally critical statement.
Though Trump quickly softened his position, some Republicans and conservative activists, increasingly emboldened by the end of Roe v. Wade and the rise of so-called “self-managed” abortions, are looking to criminalize abortion for anyone involved — including the woman. 
They believe that criminalizing abortion will be an effective deterrent to the onslaught of illegal abortion pills being mailed across the country into states where medication abortion is supposed to be illegal. And despite some efforts by a few Republican attorneys general to target those sending abortion pills across the country, abortion pill activists continue to receive glowing <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/09/health/a-day-with-one-abortion-pill-prescriber.html">profiles</a> in legacy outlets like The New York Times and The Guardian.
While this position is still a minority among elected Republicans, it is gaining increasing national attention from left-leaning media outlets, who portray those who support criminalization as extreme. Advocates of criminalization often clash with traditional pro-life groups, who say that criminalization will drive more women to underground abortions and lead them to stop turning to crisis pregnancy centers for help.
This year, the debate has played out across the country — from North Dakota to Georgia, from Texas to Missouri — where Republican lawmakers have proposed &#8220;equal protection&#8221; bills that would criminalize abortion. According to the Foundation to Abolish Abortion, 16 criminalization bills have been introduced across 14 states so far this year, with support from 122 Republican lawmakers. 
Those bills received four committee hearings, three committee votes, and one floor vote.
In February, a North Dakota proposal that would have expanded the current homicide law to encompass anyone who ends the life of an unborn child was voted down on the Republican-dominated House floor. The bill, <a href="https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/regular/documents/25-0415-05000.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HB 1373</a>, would have amended the definition of “human being” in the homicide code to include an “individual living human child before birth from the beginning of biological development at the moment of fertilization upon the fusion of a human spermatozoon with a human ovum.” 
As could be expected, <a href="https://www.weareplannedparenthoodaction.org/a/reject-hb-1373" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Planned Parenthood</a> and the <a href="https://www.aclund.org/en/legislation/house-bill-1373" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ACLU</a> vigorously lobbied against the bill. But it also divided pro-life groups. 
During a committee hearing, Republican Rep. Lori Van Winkle, the author of the legislation, <a href="https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/testimony/HHUMSER-1373-20250205-35286-F-VANWINKLE_LORI.pdf">said</a> that it would have made it clear in North Dakota law that unborn children are human and would “close a loophole that has allowed murder of innocent lives to continue in this state at will and on demand by any woman who desires to take a pill and kill her preborn child.”
Ultimately, the bill failed as the House Human Services Committee gave the legislation an 11-1 do not pass recommendation, and the full House voted 77-16 against advancing the proposal. 
That came after an organization called North Dakota Can circulated a letter signed by a variety of conservative leaders. Amber Vibeto, the executive director of North Dakota Can, told The Daily Wire that the legislation was needed to crack down on the dramatic increase in so-called “self-managed abortions.”
“Abortion remains legal in all 50 states because even in pro-life states, pro-life legislation carves out special legal immunity for women to self-induce their own abortions,” she said. “And so women are self-inducing their own abortions and they have complete legal freedom to do so. And so there are no abortion bans in the United States.” 
Vibeto said that the intent was not just to round up women and put them in prison, but to extend protections to the unborn. 
“We just need to include the preborn in the homicide laws that we already have on the books. We just believe that the same laws that protect you and me from murder and homicide should protect the preborn as well,” she said. “Our constitution demands equal protection under the law to all persons, and it doesn’t have a qualifier that says ‘well, unless you live in a culture of lies that makes you a victim.’” 
On the other side, a number of pro-life groups opposed the bill, saying that it would have done more harm than good. Both the North Dakota Catholic Conference and the North Dakota Family Alliance gave testimony urging lawmakers not to support the bill.
Mark Jorritsma, the executive director of the North Dakota Family Alliance, told The Daily Wire that while he believed the bill was “well-intentioned,&#8221; it was “not the right way to end abortion” in North Dakota. 
“Fundamentally, you&#8217;re punishing the wrong person,” he said. “We do claim and agree that the mother is the second victim here. There is often undo pressure put on her, she’s in a state of mind where she’s not capable of making the right decisions given fear, or whatever else she may be dealing with.” 
Jorritsma also said he had practical problems with the bill, saying that it would have led to a dramatic increase in prison population that wouldn’t be possible to maintain. 
“Regardless of your ethical, moral, religious, philosophical bent on the issue, it’s just untenable. You cannot do it even if you wanted to,” he said. “You’re going to have law enforcement going out and arresting 18-year-old girls instead of stopping drunk drivers.”
David Tamisiea, the executive director of the North Dakota Catholic Conference, told The Daily Wire that he believed that pro-life lawmakers should focus on building a culture of life in the state instead of making women felons.
“Rather than going after women, supporting women in difficult circumstances so that abortion becomes unthinkable to them,” he said. 
He also said that HB 1373 would have been immediately struck down because of a recent North Dakota Supreme Court decision that ruled that women have a “fundamental right” to abortion in certain circumstances. 
A similar debate played out in Georgia, where lawmakers considered a similar bill, <a href="https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70313" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HB 441.</a> That fight pitted groups like the Georgia Life Alliance against Georgia Right to Life. 
The legislation, known as the Georgia Prenatal Equal Protection Act, was introduced by Rep. Emory Dunahoo. The proposal would have added protections for unborn babies under state homicide laws.
“Tens of thousands of babies, made in the image of God, continue to be murdered in our state every year, all within the bounds of the current law. That must be changed,”  Dunahoo <a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2025/03/26/bill-that-criminalizes-abortion-undermines-ivf-access-gets-georgia-house-panel-hearing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a March hearing on his legislation. 
His proposal was supported by Georgia Right to Life, a Christian organization that doesn’t support any exceptions for abortion. 
“Our homicide code in Georgia does not criminalize people, it criminalizes an act. Just as homicide is an act that is born out under a criminal law, abortion being murder should carry that same punishment,&#8221; Georgia Right to Life Executive Director Zemmie Fleck told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Our homicide code should apply to both of those because, for Georgia Right to Life, we recognize that a preborn child is a person at its very earliest beginnings, whether that be in the petri dish or whether that is natural conception.” 
Fleck added that she understood the enormous impact of abortion on American culture, noting that an estimated 65 million babies have been aborted since 1973.
“Our hearts go out, our prayers go out to men and women who have been impacted by this abortion issue. The numbers are just staggering,&#8221; she said. “This has impacted our society to incredible levels.” 
On the other side, the Georgia Life Alliance, which describes itself as the largest pro-life group in the state, sent a letter to lawmakers asking them to oppose the legislation. In their letter, they said that they had &#8220;grave concerns with the impact, consequences, and outcomes of the bill which conflicts with our organizational mission.&#8221;
These concerns included their belief that deterring abortion &#8220;requires compassionate support, not punitive measures,&#8221; that the bill could deter women from seeking medical care, and that criminalizing abortion could lead to more &#8220;unregulated abortions.&#8221;
&#8220;Regardless of one&#8217;s beliefs on access to abortion, women and girls should not be further traumatized from their abortion by the fear of criminal prosecution,&#8221; the group wrote. &#8220;We can love them both by pursuing ways to help women and children in desperate situations and take care not to pass laws that unintentionally encourage their further harm and additional trauma to women which is incentivized by HB 441.&#8221;
Ultimately, the bill did not get a committee vote. But it could be brought up again by the chair at a later time. 
Similar battles have played out this year in states like Missouri, Texas, and Oklahoma. In Oklahoma, delegates to the state&#8217;s Republican Party convention recently <a href="https://x.com/AbolishAbortOK/status/1918792596433858560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1918792596433858560%7Ctwgr%5Eb3b17918d52c0073a6ab35b286f770b4392e9657%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ffaa.life%2Farticles%2Foklahoma-christians-hold-enemies-of-equal-protection-accountable" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> to censor Republican lawmakers who opposed a proposal criminalizing abortion in the state. 
Most national pro-life organizations oppose bills that would criminalize abortion, arguing that they harm the cause. In the lead up to the overturning of Roe, a coalition of top pro-life groups sent an <a href="https://www.nrlc.org/uploads/communications/051222coalitionlettertostates.pdf">open letter</a> to state legislatures making clear their opposition to criminalizing abortion. 
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&#8220;Women are victims of abortion and require our compassion and support as well as ready access to counseling and social services in the days, weeks, months, and years following an abortion,&#8221; the leaders wrote in the letter. &#8220;As national and state pro-life organizations, representing tens of millions of pro-life men, women, and children across the country, let us be clear: We state unequivocally that we do not support any measure seeking to criminalize or punish women and we stand firmly opposed to include such penalties in legislation.&#8221;
Signatories included the leaders of National Right to Life, Americans United for Life, March for Life Action, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, and many more.
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Kelsey Pritchard, the political affairs communication director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, pointed out that none of the criminalization bills have been approved affirmatively by any GOP-led committees.
“SBA Pro-Life America does not support legislation to criminalize women and qualify them for the death penalty,&#8221; she said. &#8220;No state pro-life law criminalizes women, and that’s not changing as not a single one of these bills has passed out of committee.&#8221;
Pritchard also pointed to a <a href="https://lozierinstitute.org/study-many-women-who-had-abortions-felt-pressured-by-others/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> that said over 60% of women who had abortions reported experiencing some form of pressure or coercion. 
“In a world where a predatory abortion industry embeds lies about the humanity of unborn children into our culture and enables abortion coercion, women with unplanned pregnancies need more support,&#8221; she said.
One prominent national leader who has changed her perspective on the issue is Abby Johnson. A former Planned Parenthood employee, Johnson runs And Then There Were None, an organization that supports people who want to leave the abortion industry, and ProLove Ministries, a group that aids expectant moms in crisis pregnancies.
She told The Daily Wire that she is skeptical of the position that women are victims of abortion, saying that she often sees women boasting and laughing about ending the life of their unborn child outside of abortion facilities.
“Holding people accountable for their actions is the right thing to do. It&#8217;s the conservative thing to do. It&#8217;s the lawful thing to do. It’s the biblical thing to do,&#8221; she said. 
She believes that criminalizing abortion would deter women from seeking to terminate their pregnancies. Personally, she said that she would not have had two abortions or worked for Planned Parenthood if she had faced the threat of criminalization.
“What is actually going to effectively reduce the number of abortions?” she said. “It&#8217;s not the regulation. It’s not going after the abortion doctors. It’s going after the people who are ordering, who are taking the pills, who are flushing the babies down the toilet, it&#8217;s going after the consumer.”
Johnson said that while she disagrees with the approach many of her national pro-life counterparts have taken, she is still able to work well with them on specific issues and causes. Pro-life leaders in North Dakota who opposed the criminalizing bill there echoed that sentiment.
Mark Jorritsma of the North Dakota Family Alliance told The Daily Wire that he would be “more than happy” to talk to the other side, adding that “they’re on our side, they are not the enemy.&#8221;

Reproductive Rights Advocates Protest At The Supreme Court On Second Anniversary Of Dobbs Decision

‘It’s Just Untenable’: Inside The Conservative Debate On Criminalizing Abortion

Abortion

Abortion Drug

North Dakota

Pro-Life Movement

Roe v. Wade's Long And Brutal Legacy

Representative Rick Allen (R-GA) introduced the Employee Rights Act (ERA) of 2025 on Thursday, seeking to reform labor unions and support workers&#8217; rights. The legislation, Allen claims, will provide privacy for unionized workers, allow workers to opt out of union representation, and harmonize existing labor laws.
Allen collaborated with F. Vincent Vernuccio – the president and co-founder of labor advocacy group Institute for the American Worker (I4AW) – to write an <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/faith-freedom-self-reliance/3454318/now-is-the-time-to-empower-workers-and-improve-unions/">op-ed</a> in the Washington Examiner explaining his bill.
Referencing the One Big Beautiful Bill, Allen said, &#8220;While the forthcoming tax cuts and spending reforms will deliver even more results, Congress also needs to modernize federal law to empower workers and improve labor unions to deliver a 21st-century economy that benefits the working class.&#8221;
Among other outcomes, the bill will allow unionized workers to choose what personal information their union can access, decide whether they are represented by a union in right-to-work states, and have the choice to opt-in to non-union-related spending.
Allen said, &#8220;It also enables workers to opt in to union political spending on an annual basis, undoing the current system in which workers are automatically forced to fund political activities they may personally oppose.&#8221;
&#8220;Perhaps most importantly, the Employee Rights Act eliminates loopholes that can distract unions from faithfully representing workers’ needs and wishes,&#8221; Allen said. &#8220;It prohibits DEI provisions in collective bargaining agreements, ensuring all workers are treated equally. It ends the judicially created exemption for union-related violence and extortion, so that such illegal acts are treated appropriately under federal law.&#8221;
The ERA hopes to reform the National Labor Relations Board, which, in recent years, is <a href="https://i4aw.org/news/employers-have-the-right-to-inform-their-workers-about-the-impact-of-unionization/">reported</a> to have pursued overreaching regulations that may harm both unionized and non-unionized laborers.
Allen also hopes to use the bill to adjust the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, which gives citizens the right to organize trade unions and engage in collective bargaining.
&#8220;The Employee Rights Act has long enjoyed strong support among Republicans in both the House and Senate, to say nothing of the overwhelming majority of Americans,&#8221; Allen said.
Allen concluded by saying, &#8220;With the GOP holding Congress and the White House, it deserves consideration as soon as possible. President Donald Trump is already delivering for working Americans. Truly empowering workers and improving unions will help them rise and thrive for future generations.&#8221;

Men in Hardhats

Georgia Rep Introduces Bill To ‘Empower Workers’ Against Unions

Congress

Economy

Labor Unions

Editor’s note: This is the sixth and final installment of a six-part series by pollster Brent Buchanan on the politics of the American South. In the last installment, Buchanan took a close look at Georgia to tell the story of the South’s political crossroads. Today, he offers suggestions for how Republicans can achieve political victory in the South.
We hope you enjoy.
—
It’s easy to oversimplify American politics. But when it comes to our collective understanding of regionality, it really is as simple as North, East, South, and West.
Engrained in the minds across generations, defined by mighty rivers and a brutal Civil War, the South — more than any other region — is more politically consequential than it ever has been. For most of modern American history, the “Solid South” was a real thing that helped Democrats win the White House and the presidency.
Today, it is a myth.
The real story of America’s South, as you’ve been reading in this <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/author/brent-buchanan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">six-part series</a>, is the story of an emerging patchwork of political intricacies and growing political dominance. Our exclusive analysis of the South shows 10 distinct regions transcending state lines and traditional constructs, showing vulnerabilities and opportunities for both parties – but more for Republicans — if they can capitalize before Democrats find a rudder and sales pitch.
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State lines determine the borders for how we’ll count votes, but voters and their stances on key issues of the day don’t adhere to state lines. How well each party understands and adapts to the South’s regional realities will determine the balance of power for the 2026 midterm elections and the rest of Donald Trump’s presidency.
To culminate this deep analysis of aggregated demographic variables, survey responses, and trends in everything from education, income, gender, age, and partisanship, we offer four things Republicans should focus on to achieve political victory in the South.
<h3>Base Fortress Regions With GOP Ceilings</h3>
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Pollsters and political operatives felt the tremors of America’s massive political realignment before most of the mainstream media caught on, but by now it’s common knowledge that Trump’s emergence as the central figure of political life was the catalyst of a growing Diploma Divide.
But Trump reflects an electorate whose political preferences began changing even before he came down that golden escalator.
While this realignment has happened nationally, it’s most prominent and evident in the South. For the Republican Party, three main regions anchor its new political advantage. What we’ve dubbed Dixieland, Big Sky South, and the Trumpian Highlands serve as base fortresses from diploma-divide-driven gains from Democrats — but offer little to no room for growth. In 2024, Trump’s ballot shares were 71% in Dixieland, 70% in the Big Sky South, and 75% in the Trumpian Highlands.
“This is about as good as it’s going to get for the GOP in these New South buttresses,” said Nicholas Valdiviez, Cygnal’s Sampling Lead for this project. “These three strongholds are reliable for Republicans, but it’s unreasonable to expect they can deliver more than they already have.”
So what? As we’ve seen in previous cycles, it can be easy to try and offset lagging performance in harder-to-get voter groups by surging turnout in reliable regions like these. But the GOP’s focus should be on keeping turnout and engagement at these levels — which won’t be easy as these areas aren’t growing as much as other Southern regions less friendly to Republicans. There’s more peril in the ceilings of these fortresses if voters are unenthused and stay home.
<h3>Wild Cards &amp; Volatility: Regions That Could Flip</h3>
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If you’ve followed this series, you know the only states we called out as standalone fixtures in the still uncertain political future of the South were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hold-what-the-peach-states-political-patchworks-mean-for-2026?author=Brent+Buchanan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=What+The+Peach+State%E2%80%99s+Political+Patchworks+Mean+For+2026%C2%A0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Georgia</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bbq-politics-how-north-carolinas-sauce-divide-mirrors-voting-behavior?author=Brent+Buchanan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=BBQ+Politics%3F+How+North+Carolina%E2%80%99s+Sauce+Divide+Mirrors+Its+Voting+Behavior%C2%A0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Carolina.</a> Beyond the regions we’ve identified as the TexMex Nexus and Coastal Condo Coalition, those are the two states with the highest volatility and uncertainty heading into the midterm elections.
North Carolina’s split personality in politics is mirrored by its split choice in barbeque sauces, while Georgia’s newish designation as a swing state is defined by a seeming disappearance of the traditional Black Belt and regional creep from the stronghold of the Trumpian Highlands. Both states are incredibly consequential to party control in Washington — but they’re not the only volatile areas we’re watching.
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First, let’s look at the Coastal Condo Coalition, centered in Florida&#8217;s densely urbanized southern tip. It is one of the most demographically and economically unique regions in the South. Traditionally a Democratic stronghold (Democrats lead 45% to 32% in registration), this region has seen notable Republican gains since 2016, culminating in a 6.6% swing toward the GOP in 2024. This is its best performance in years, nearly flipping the partisan split to 49-51.
Then, let’s look at the TexMex Nexus. This region spans heavily Hispanic areas along the Texas border, and in scattered urban centers, it has been one of the most politically dynamic zones in our Southern analysis. After holding steady at a near 50-50 partisan split in 2012, this region took a sharp left turn in 2016, moving 10 points toward the Democrats — double the next largest leftward shift in the South. That trend continued into 2020 with another 4-point Democratic gain, making it seem like a prime target for Democrats as their registration advantage grew to 53% over the GOP’s 39%.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-929701" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/TexMexNexus-map1.png" alt="" width="514" height="383" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/TexMexNexus-map1.png 514w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/TexMexNexus-map1-300x224.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 514px) 100vw, 514px" /></div>
But 2024 brought a dramatic reversal, as the Tex-Mex Nexus saw the second-largest rightward swing of any region, moving 9 points toward Republicans and ending at a D+5 margin — a five-point improvement for the GOP compared to 2016. This shift was powered by significant Republican gains among Latino voters, particularly men, and by a focus on economic and border issues that resonated locally.
So what? With popular Governor Brian Kemp out of contention for the Georgia Senate race, the state remains in flux alongside its northern swing state counterpart, North Carolina. Factor in the fact that neither the Coastal Condo Coalition nor the TexMex Nexus is on lock for the GOP, and you have the four biggest wild cards in the South.
<h3>Stagnation &amp; Gridlock in the “Sweet” Burbs and Faux South</h3>
So, now we’ve got the Republican strongholds identified and the wild cards laid out — but that’s only half the picture. Vast swaths of the South are in political gridlock where even the sheer force of personality from someone like Trump has managed to crack — or break. These are the regions we’ve labeled the Sweet Tea Suburbs and the Faux South. While old voting patterns seem to be fading, these regions remain “stuck zones,” political wastelands where entrenchment and razor-thin margins offer no clear advantage to either party.
“These are not battlegrounds in the traditional sense,” Valdiviez says. “Rather they are stagnant bogs who have more impact on their urban cores and outlying mixing zones of other regions and therefore should be pursued nice-to-have incremental gains rather than outright winnable. The catch is these areas are political fronts that if left unattended could wind up being potential wild cards.”
So what? With so much talk of massive realignments and sweeping partisan shifts, both in strongholds and wild cards, these doldrums are different, and should be approached differently. The GOP’s only hope is to nibble around the edges of these regions with dynamic quality candidates and a message more akin to hometowns than the machinations of Washington, D.C.
<h3>Growth Regions: The GOP’s Next Frontier</h3>
Now for the fun part: the opportunities for Republicans in the South. If you’ve been following along so far, it’s a bit of a rollercoaster to say the least, but here are the three regions we think will comprise the next frontier for Republicans.
The Soulful South stands out among them, but not because of the 58% Republican ballot share or because Georgia’s Black Belt is now less visible in our regional analysis. Rather, the Soulful South stands out because it has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-end-of-democratic-assumptions-how-minority-voters-are-reshaping-southern-politics?author=Brent+Buchanan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+End+of+Democratic+Assumptions%3A+How+Minority+Voters+Are+Reshaping+Southern+Politics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trending rightward</a> since 2012.
The fact that Democrats take these voters for granted — combined with the connection forged by Trump’s candidacy — has made the Soulful South a budding ground of opportunity for Republicans going forward. Overconfidence here is perilous, but with Democrats without a message or a messenger that resonates with this predominantly black region, our analysis shows more to gain for Republicans than to lose. They should keep their foot on the gas here.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-929703" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SoulfulSouth-map1.png" alt="" width="455" height="361" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SoulfulSouth-map1.png 455w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SoulfulSouth-map1-300x238.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 455px) 100vw, 455px" /></div>
Our proprietary naming conventions and analysis also identify the Republican Resettlers and Big Hat Bloc regions as prime opportunities. The Republican Resettlers region, fueled by an influx of newcomers from liberal states seeking communities with conservative governance (you heard that right), has shown some of the most consistent rightward movement in the South, swinging eight points further right by 2024 to reach an R+17 margin. As migration trends continue, especially along the Georgia and Florida coasts, this bloc is poised to expand its influence and deliver reliable support for Republican candidates.
Similarly, the Big Hat Bloc, which experienced setbacks during the early Trump years, has rebounded with record Republican margins in 2024. This region’s mix of cultural conservatism and economic focus makes it fertile ground for further Republican consolidation, especially if the party can maintain strong turnout and continue to address local priorities — much like those strongholds we addressed earlier.
With both regions trending right and absorbing new, like-minded residents, the GOP’s prospects for midterm gains are strong, provided they stay focused on localized outreach and avoid complacency in data, spending, and messaging.
So what? This is where Republicans should surge their efforts with non-college educated, non-white voters, and even those <a href="https://cygn.al/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Cygnal-Election-2024-Focus-Group_Analysis.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ticked-off, young, working class, and diverse</a> voters within these regions. These are new constituencies for the GOP, and now is the time to further build out these inroads and lock in the gains for the post-Trump era.
<h3>Conclusion: The States and Their Shapes</h3>
As Americans, we know the regionality of our nation inherently, and we understand that state lines can be pesky and a bit funny. We also know those lines serve a multitude of purposes, chief among them governance and counting votes. With that in mind, it only makes sense to examine the South from our <a href="https://www.cygn.al/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/10-Regions-of-the-American-South-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">distinct regional perspective, noting</a> that Texas and Florida alone are projected to gain eight new congressional seats by 2030, with other Southern states like Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina also on the rise.
This shift comes at the expense of traditional blue state strongholds in the Midwest, fundamentally redrawing the map of political opportunity in America. The parties that best understand these new Southern realities — where regional identities like we’ve defined here, not state lines, drive turnout and loyalty — will tip the upper hand for 2026 and the next decade.
But here’s the catch: like the Democrats before them, Republicans can’t afford to treat the South as a monolith or rely on pre-Trump playbooks.
The story of the South today is one of ceilings, wild cards, gridlock, and growth. The lesson for Republican campaigns, operatives, and strategists is as clear as it is urgent: the old assumptions are dead, and the new map of power is regional, dynamic, and deeply local. The party that can surge turnout in fortress regions, lock in gains in growth zones, nibble at the edges of gridlocked suburbs, and win the battle for the wild cards will be the party that defines the next era of American politics.

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